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178 A BOOK OF MIRACLES.
done with a design to use their flesh in magic and
witchcraft; and therefore they watch the corpse of
the deceased for some time after it is buried.
The language of that country consists for the most
part of inarticulate sounds and noises made in their
throats, which no man can imitate or express in
writing; nor is it possible to be learned, except by
people who have lived amongst thern from infancy, as
sorne of the Mulatto slaves, belonging to the Dutch,
have done.
These, 1 perceived, could understand the Hottentots,
and had sufficient knowledge of the language to
be understood by thern.
As to letters, or writing of any kind, they are perfectly
ignorant ofthese things.
ln that country, the dominant religion is, according
to the report of the Portuguese, who were the
first Europeans that visitedit, a species of Deism,
because they found neither temples nor images; hut
other travellers have the fullest evidence that they
believe in God or the Supreme being, who made
both heaven and the earth, they style him the God of
Gods, and believe he is endowed with ail imaginable
perfections; but they never address themselves di·
rectly to him, but to certain genii whom they
look upon as mediators for them to the Supreme God ;
and it is probable they look upon the moon as one of
those inferior intelligences, for they assemble at the
new moon, prostrate themselves before it, and dance